How to create a headache free, budget friendly Christmas card
You’re making your list, and checking it twice.
No I’m not talking about your naughty and nice list… I mean your Christmas card list.
I will say, I get immense joy when I drop those puppies in the mail and I LOVE receiving Christmas cards; but there is so much preparation and stress put on us ladies for this single piece of mail.
And I say “ladies” specifically because let’s be honest, if the world were full of only men, Christmas cards would cease to exist. I could be wrong, but I don’t believe there is one guy out there that is like “Hey babe, I scheduled our photos, picked out our outfits, confirmed addresses, and searched endlessly for the perfect card this year!” HA. If that dude exists, marry him. Now.
I’m not saying its a bad thing that the pressure isn’t on the men, but what I do believe is we do it to ourselves. With that being said, here is a day (or weeks) in the life of Christmas Card preparation and some helpful tips to ease the stress and not bust the bank!
Theme
First you need to decide what vibe you are going for with your card. Some options are:
- A professional styled photo shoot {Start here}
- Styled photos taken by you {Skip to “Styling”}
- Candid photos from the year {Skip to “Clean up your list”}
Styling
Here is the fun part (at least for me!) What is your end goal here? Do you want a really casual look? Something super wintery like wearing hats, scarves, and gloves. Or if you prefer a more formal photo with rich colors and texture? Are there any props you are hoping to include? And does your whole family’s outfit/style go with one another? If you are having trouble with this, scroll through Pinterest for some outfit and posing inspiration!
Also, start with one piece of inspiration. My best friend found Aria’s gold dress on a website and sent it to me months ago saying I needed to get it for her. (She knows me too well :P) And this was what everything was based around.
I was obsessed with this piece and knew it was perfect for our photo sesh. You can find this dress here.
Image taken from Buy Buy Baby
and I am probably bias but how sweet does she look in it!
Then I started to search for my outfit and another friend beat me to it. She sent me a photo of an outfit from Like To Know It that she was feeling for the holidays and I “borrowed” her idea for the skirt. I immiediatly headed to Pinterest and scrolled for some inspiration to complete my look. I realized the oversized sweater/skirt combo was very “in” and gave it a try. Although I was not successful with this tip in this shoot, try and use some pieces you currently have in your closet to keep your budget in check!
This photo was my inspiration. Not sure I completely pulled it off but #YOLO.
Pinterest 
Vs. Reality
I got my skirt on Amazon for $23.99 and was really happy with the quality of this skirt. (I am sometimes skeptical of clothes on Amazon) My sweater was from Forever 21 for $17.50. Lastly, I jazzed it up with a handful of festive bobby pins to complete the look. I found these at Marshall’s but they are virtually everywhere these days!
Sidebar: Funniest story- we showed up to the photo shoot and my husband asked me if I decided on which bobby pins. I said “yea, they are in my hair” and he was like “all of them are in there, didn’t you want to make a decision.” I said, “Babe, its a thing.” (stacking bobby pins) Hilarious.
Anyway- finally I worried about Evan’s outfit. I knew because Aria and I were a bit more neutral that I wanted him in a color but I wasn’t totally sure what. We decided on a hunter green and hit the mall to find one. First stop and found this at Banana Republic on sale for around $40.
So to tie us all together, I ordered a bow for Aria to match his sweater and boom, the styling complete.
Photographer
Find a local photographer that has glowing reviews and won’t break the bank! Local Facebook groups are a great resource if you are not sure who to use! An important consideration when selecting a photographer is ensuring you like their style of shooting and editing. There are soo many great photographers out there and they all have different strengths (and price points) so make sure you select someone that will give you the images you are looking for. Take some time and scroll through their Instagram feeds or portfolios online.
Once you have found someone you like; check to see if they offer mini sessions. Most photographers set these up around the holidays and it is perfect for this circumstance. You only need a handful of fabulous photos to create a beautiful Christmas card, it is unlikely an hour shoot is needed.
Photo taken from Drake Create Facebook page.
Make sure you take some time and scroll Pinterest for photo ideas. Save a few to your phone and consult with you photographer ahead of time so they can understand your vision for your photo.
If you have a good experience, make sure you follow their social media and register for email alerts on their website so you don’t miss future mini sessions with them! These book up FAST and as I mentioned it is the most affordable way to get these great shots for your cards.
Over the years I have worked with a number of great photographers and just recently my brother and sister in law have turned their hobby into a business, and clearly you can see why when you check out our Christmas mini session below! They are freaking awesome. I am super lucky to have a photographer in the family but I am sure you are one degree of separation from someone who can has an eye for great photos that you can reach out to!
{You can check out Drake Creative Photo here Website Facebook Instagram}
Here are only 10 of 33 amazing images we got in like 30 minutes of shooting!
Clean up your list
Here is the time consuming part, but I have tips for simplifying this process. Create a system that you can refer to every year.
Budget hack: Be selective. Let’s be honest, you do not need to send Christmas cards to your old neighbors you haven’t spoken with in 3 years or you cousin’s ex-wife. Try and limit yourself to a reasonable list.
Step 1: Create your address list
I prefer to do this in Google sheets because it auto saves and its easily discoverable. I create one document “Christmas Card Address List” and new tabs for each year. This way you are not spending wasted time searching for last years list or rewriting it! I also like this because as I receive cards, I make sure to go edit my list if I forgot someone.
Step 2: Set a budget
Now that you have your list. You have an idea of how many cards you will need to order. Set a budget. There is no need to spend hundreds of dollars on Christmas cards. Pick something realistic ~$1.50/card and stick to it. Because you know that sparkly festive $3 card will catch your eye but there are always comparable options.
Step 3: Confirm addresses
Once you have a list you can refer to yearly, this becomes easier. And thankfully with social media, we all know everything that goes on in everyone’s life in real time so it is likely you know if someone moved. I start by opening my last years tab and duplicate it. Then relabel it as the current year. I then go through each line and if I believe anyone’s name or address has changed I highlight it yellow. I remove anyone that shouldn’t be there and add any new friends to the list. This should narrow down the amount of addresses you have to hunt for. Quickly text/call anyone that is highlighted yellow and get their current info.
Selecting your card
There are tons of great options for selecting cards; some popular ones are Shutterfly, Tiny Prints, and Minted; as well as many smaller shops. Most retailers have great sales around black Friday, be sure to take advantage of this to stay within your budget! This year I chose TinyPrints because I snagged 40% off of my order with free custom envelopes and free printed addresses this year on cyber Monday.
Time Hack: Use the same website year after year. This way you are limiting your selection and not searching to the depths of the Earth for the “perfect” Christmas card. And also most websites will save your contacts. So you will not have to upload your list every year!
Skip the fancy edging and foil stamp that just adds on $ and stick to a beautiful design that showcases your photos and feels festive AF.
Which bells and whistles are necessary?
Personally, I have never noticed fancy lined envelopes or honestly even the stamp. (I am not going to lie though, I always opt for a festive stamp because they are no additional cost.) If the company you choose offers pre-addressed envelopes at a decent price, I highly recommend going for it. It saves you time from writing addresses in or printing labels, one less things to worry about.
And lastly- make sure you order about 5 extra. I keep a copy in a 5 x 7 album so I can cherish them forever. And you know you are destined to forget 1 or 2 people, so play it safe!
Mail those suckers!
Ta-Da! All of you hard work has paid off. Slap a stamp on that baby and drop it in the mail. Ok- that may have just made it sound quick and easy, which we all know it isn’t. But like I said, I love having these little memories and highly suggest keeping an album with all of your cards to look back on!
Happy Holidays from my family to yours <3
xo, Emily
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